Codeshare flights and delay claims: Who do you actually claim from?

You booked your flight through British Airways. You turn up at the airport, boarding pass in hand — and the plane says Iberia on the side. Three hours later than scheduled, you finally land. You're furious, and you know you're owed compensation.

But who do you actually claim from? The airline you booked with? The airline that flew the plane? And does it even matter?

It does matter — a lot. Getting this wrong is one of the most common reasons flight delay claims get rejected or ignored. Here's everything you need to know.

What Is a Codeshare Flight?

A codeshare is when two or more airlines share the same physical flight. One airline actually operates the aircraft — they provide the plane, the crew, the fuel, everything. But other airlines sell seats on that same flight under their own flight numbers.

So you might book a flight with a BA flight number, pay BA, get a BA confirmation email — and then board a plane operated entirely by Finnair. That's a codeshare.

It's incredibly common. Most major airlines do it, particularly across partnerships and alliances like Oneworld (BA, Iberia, Finnair), Star Alliance (Lufthansa, United, Turkish Airlines) and SkyTeam (Air France, KLM, Delta).

You'll usually spot it in your booking confirmation, somewhere in small print: "Operated by [Airline Name]." That little phrase is actually the most important detail in this whole article.

The Golden Rule: Always Claim From the Operating Airline

When it comes to compensation under UK261 (the UK's version of the EU's EC261 regulation), the responsibility sits with the airline that actually flew the plane — not the one that sold you the ticket.

This is backed up clearly by the regulation itself, which states that obligations rest with "the operating air carrier who performs or intends to perform a flight." It doesn't matter whose logo was on your booking confirmation. What matters is whose logo was on the tail of the aircraft.

So in our BA/Iberia example: claim from Iberia, not British Airways.

How to Find Out Who Operated Your Flight

This is easier than it sounds. Here's where to look:

• Your booking confirmation email — search for "operated by" in the body of the email
• Your boarding pass — the operating carrier's flight code will usually appear alongside the marketing airline's code (e.g. "IB2345 operated as BA5678")
• The departure board at the airport — operating airline details are often shown
• The airline's own app or website — search your booking reference and look for flight details
• FlightAware or FlightRadar24 — enter your flight number and you can see exactly which aircraft and airline operated it

If your flight was some time ago and you're not sure, the operating airline will still show up on these flight tracking sites using your original flight date and number.

Does It Affect Whether You're Covered?

Usually no — but there is one important exception worth knowing about.

You're covered if:

• Your flight departed from a UK or EU airport (regardless of which airline operated it)
• Your flight arrived into the UK or EU and was operated by a UK or EU airline

You may NOT be covered if:

• Your flight departed from outside the UK/EU and was operated by a non-UK/EU airline

Here's a real-world example to make that clearer:

The key takeaway: if your flight started in the UK or EU, you're almost certainly covered, regardless of who operated it.

What If the Airlines Try to Pass the Buck?

This is where things can get frustrating. Airlines — both the marketing carrier and the operating carrier — sometimes point passengers back and forth at each other.

The marketing airline (the one you booked with) might say: "We didn't operate the flight, contact the operating airline."

The operating airline might say: "You have a contract with the airline you booked through, not us."

Both of these responses are wrong under UK261. The operating carrier is legally responsible for compensation. If the operating airline refuses to engage, here's what to do:

1. Put your claim in writing to the operating carrier, citing UK261 (or EC261 if the flight departed the EU)
2. Keep all documentation — boarding pass, booking confirmation, evidence of the delay
3. Escalate to the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) if the airline doesn't respond within 8 weeks
4. Use a claims service — if you'd rather not deal with the back-and-forth yourself

How Much Could You Be Owed?

Compensation under UK261 is fixed and based on flight distance:

This applies when your flight arrived 3 hours or more late, the delay was the airline's fault (not genuine extraordinary circumstances like extreme weather), and the flight was covered by UK261 or EC261.

Check Your Claim in 2 Minutes

Not sure if your codeshare delay qualifies? Don't guess — check. Enter your flight details below and we'll tell you instantly whether you're owed compensation, how much, and handle the whole claim on your behalf.

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You have up to 6 years to claim in the UK, so even older delays are worth checking. There's no fee unless we win.

Delayed on a codeshare flight and not sure where to start? Our team handles hundreds of codeshare claims every month — we know exactly which airline to go after and how to get results.